Self-feeding water heaters and boilers



June 30, 1964 e. PEARSON SELF-FEEDING WATER HEATERS AND BOILERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1961 June 1964 G. PEARSON 3,139,084

SELF-FEEDING WATER HEATERS AND BOILERS Filed Feb. 15, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H X g T'y Q a A7 5 i 9- g June 30, 1964 G. PEARSON 3,139,084

SELF-FEEDING WATER HEATERS AND BOILERS Filed Feb. 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,139,084 SELF-FEEDING WATER HEATERS AND BOILERS George Pearson, Harewood Road, Collingham, near Leeds, England Filed Feb. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 89,513 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-666) The invention relates to self-feeding Water heaters and boilers of the kind more particularly described in the specification of our British Patent No. 627,135, which heaters are intended for use in premises such as canteens, restaurants, ships mess rooms and so on.

Water heaters and boilers of the kind aforesaid are provided with a heating chamber from which boiling water is delivered into a receiver having an open tapless delivery nozzle, the said receiver being located within the heating chamber containing water to be boiled, at a point above the normal water level and having an open top so that expansion and turbulence of the water in the said chamber which occurs when boiling takes place,

.causes the boiling water to flow from the heating chamber over the edge and into the receiver whose base is inclined to facilitate drainage and passage of boiling water directly through the aforesaid delivery nozzle.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of water heater or boiler of the kind stated whereby descaling operations may be easily and quickly effected, when necessary, by semi-skilled or unskilled persons. 7

Another object is to furnish the heater with a quickly detachable and fool-proof replaceable cover for facilitating access to the interior without need for special tools or implements.

Still further objects of the invention are to ensure accurate automatic control of the flow of water to the water supply or feed tank forming part of such heaters and to also provide the said tanks with descaling means for obviating scaling in the coacting boilers.

In order that the invention may be fully and clearly comprehended the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view partly in elevation and partly in section of a water heater constructed according to one embodiment of the invention and intended more particularly for marine use.

FIGURE 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 which is taken at an angle of about 120 counterclockwise from the front.

FIGURE 3 is an axial section of the upper portion of the heater illustrated at FIGURE 1, drawn to a larger scale.

FIGURE 4 is a plan of FIGURE 3, with covers removed.

FIGURE 5 is a detail of a securing means for the lid or cover, drawn to a still larger scale.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional elevation of a fragment of a preferred form of water supply or feed tank for use with heaters of the kind illustrated in the previous figures, drawn to a different scale.

The bottom portion of the hollow and preferably cylindrical body 1 of the apparatus serves as a heating chamber in which there is provided an axially disposed displacement tube 3 closed at its ends to reduce the volume of the heating chamber surrounded by a steam heated helix 4 (usually designated a heater coil) through which coil a flow of steam is admitted through any suitable kind of externally located valve 5. Alternatively, instead of employing steam, the coil 4 may be supplied with high pressure hot water also suitably controlled by valve means.

3,139,084 Patented June 30, 1964 Water is fed to the lower part of the heating chamber 1, through a duct 6 from an adjacent supply and balancer tank 7 fed by a float-actuated valve 8 from a suitable source of supply.

9 is the steam or condensate outlet or connection point and 10 is a drain outlet and plug.

In proximity to the upper end of the heating chamber 1 there is housed therein a water receiver 11 whose upper edge lies above normal water level in the said chamber and arranged between the receiver and the Wall of the chamber is a detachable curved water deflector plate 12 intended to assist turbulent boiling water passing up from below into the said receiver for passage to an open outlet nozzle 13 for use as required. The nozzle 13 is preferably adapted to swivel to enable delivery in any required direction.

The deflector is furnished with a locating member 14 for co-acting with the receiver 11, and also with a perpendicular stem or handle 15 Whose upper end is suitably shaped and terminates in proximity to the top of the apparatus.

The top of the heating chamber has a detachable clo sure cap 16 and to facilitate quick and easy removal of the cap the perimeter thereof carries preferably two dependent hooks 17 adapted to engage with or disengage from a pair of buttons 18 on the exterior of the apparatus whenever the lid is correspondingly partly rotated.

To render correct fitting of the deflector fool-proof and certain, the stem thereof may be constructed of such a length that unless the member is accurately placedthe closure cap 16 cannot be secured in position.

A breather or-pressure relief outlet 19 communicating with the tank 7 is formed in the heater near the top for ensuring functional safety, the water tank 7 acting as a condenser to prevent passage of vapour to atmosphere and consequent deleterious actionon paintwork and metal fittings.

The heretofore described assembly is enclosed within lagged or insulated casing 2 whose upper end is also closed by a detachable cover 20 secured in position by a screw 21 or other preferably simple means and supported on feet 22.

Should it become necessary to descale the apparatus owing to scale formation brought about by hard water, the top outer icover cap 20 is removed and the cover or cap 16, of the heating chamber quickly detached by manually imparting thereto a partial rotation, whereupon the stem or handle 15 of the deflector 12'may be grasped and the deflector withdrawn. Thereafter, the latter may be scraped and rinsed to remove scale depositmost deposit occurring at this part, and the sequence of operations reversed.

It must be understood that the shape of the balancer tank may be other than that illustrated in the drawings, the shape in the latter being arrived at for use upon marine vessels where rising, pitching, rolling and similar actions (may aifect the Water level in the apparatus or the disposition of the ball-float arm.

The operation of the apparatus is similar to that of the water heater described in the specification of our prior British Patent No. 627,135 in as much that when the stream or high pressure hot water valve 5 is opened, the heater coil 4 raises the temperature of the Water in the heating chamber 1 to boiling point and the consequent expansion and turbulence causes the water to rise up the passage 23 to the deflector 12 which directs the water to the open nozzle 13 via the receiver 11, the flow of boiling water being continuous so long as the heater coil is in action.

Expansion and contraction of the coil 4 tends to reduce formation of scale thereon as stated in the aforesaid 3 specification. In practice, however, it is found that scale deposit is most likely to occur upon the deflector plate 12, hence by constructing the same so as to be readily detachable as herein before set forth, the plate may be readily removed by unskilled or semi-skilled persons, cleaned and replaced in a minimum of time. This is very desirable, particularly in the case of heaters for marine use Where very hard water has frequently to be used,

and where turn-round times must be adhered to for preserving sailing schedules.

Thetank 7 (see more particularly FIGURE 6) which is of suitable size and contour is secured to the heater or boiler and the outer end of the customary float valve lever 25 supports a float 26. The latter is preferably of approximately cylindrical or barrel form and has attached to its upperend an externally screw-threaded axially arranged stem' 27. The said stem is held captive by passing through atstirrup or clevis 28 secured to the free extremity requirements and to facilitatethis action the upper end of the stem is provided with a diametral groove for a screw-driver or may be otherwise shaped.

To {prevent whip or lateral movement of the valve lever 25 the latter is located, about midway of its length, in a vertical slot 31 in a guide bracket 32 secured to the tank 7. Also, to minimise motion of water and also obviate undue stress upon the float 26 when the apparatus is intended for use under marine and other unstable circumstances, the said float is housed within a compartment formed by an appropriately shaped member 33 secured to the tank 7.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the float can be easily and quickly adjusted for determining water level in the tankand that untoward movements of the float and its arm are eliminated. Consequently, when employed in apparatus for marine use, rising, pitching, rolling and similar actions of a vessel do not adversely affect operation of }the water inlet valve 25*.

If desired, the bracket 32 may be employed for supporting a preferably detachable hook 34 from Whose lower end there is suspended a perforated or reticulated receptacle 35 containing scale-reducing crystals or similar agents. Thus, as feed water issues from the inlet valve 25* and flows down the platform 37 it passes over or through the receptacle 35 and reacts with the scalereducing agent. When the latter is exhausted the receptacle 35 may be quickly removed, refilled and replaced.

A lid 36 is provided for the latter includes a water outlet (not shown), preferably near the base.

I claim:

1. In a self-feeding water heater combined with a water supply tank adapted to deliver water tothe heater automatically at a predeterminedlevel controlled therein by a float, valve and lever means in said supply tank, said heater comprising a heating chamber for water, a receiver within said chamber formed with an open top to accommodate boiling of water therein and having an inclined base to facilitate drainage of water therefrom, an open tapless delivery nozzle swivelably mounted to'the base of said receiver for the hot water outlet, a helical heating coil for said chamber, and an axially disposed displacement tube within said heating coil, that improvement comprising a curved deflector plate detachable from and mounted over one side of said receiver, a guide means fixed to a side of said receiver for locating said deflector plate in proper operating relation to said receiver and for guiding turbulent boiling Water from said chamber upwardly against the inner curved wall of said deflector plate and across into said receiver, a handle attached to said deflector plate extending to the top edge of the heating chamber and adapted to position said deflector plate relative to said receiver and said guide means, a breather outlet adjacent the upper edge of said heating chamber communicating with the outside, and a top outer cover cap for the heating chamber which is detachable by rotating and is adapted for removal to clean deposits Within References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,777 Hargreaves Oct. 1, 1929 2,860,917 Thompson Nov. 18, 19 58 FOREIGN PATENTS 126,656 Australia a Jan. 23, 1948 483,537 Great Britain Apr. 21', 1938 627,135 Great Britain July 29, 1949' mouth of the tank and the claimed in 

1. IN A SELF-FEEDING WATER HEATER COMBINED WITH A WATER SUPPLY TANK ADAPTED TO DELIVER WATER TO THE HEATER AUTOMATICALLY AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL CONTROLLED THEREIN BY A FLOAT, VALVE AND LEVER MEANS IN SAID SUPPLY TANK, SAID HEATER COMPRISING A HEATING CHAMBER FOR WATER, A RECEIVER WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FORMED WITH AN OPEN TOP TO ACCOMMODATE BOILING OF WATER THEREIN AND HAVING AN INCLINED BASE TO FACILITATE DRAINAGE OF WATER THEREFROM, AN OPEN TAPLESS DELIVERY NOZZLE SWIVELABLY MOUNTED TO THE BASE OF SAID RECEIVER FOR THE HOT WATER OUTLET, A HELICAL HEATING COIL FOR SAID CHAMBER, AND AN AXIALLY DISPOSED DISPLACEMENT TUBE WITHIN SAID HEATING COIL, THAT IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CURVED DEFLECTOR PLATE DETACHABLE FROM AND MOUNTED OVER ONE SIDE OF SAID RECEIVER, A GUIDE MEANS FIXED TO A SIDE OF SAID RECEIVER FOR LOCATING SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE IN PROPER OPERATING RELATION TO SAID RECEIVER AND FOR GUIDING TURBULENT BOILING WATER FROM SAID CHAMBER UPWARDLY AGAINST THE INNER CURVED WALL OF SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE AND ACROSS INTO SAID RECEIVER, A HANDLE ATTACHED TO SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE EXTENDING TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE HEATING CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO POSITION SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE RELATIVE TO SAID RECEIVER AND SAID GUIDE MEANS, A BREATHER OUTLET ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID HEATING CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTSIDE, AND A TOP OUTER COVER CAP FOR THE HEATING CHAMBER WHICH IS DETACHABLE BY ROTATING AND IS ADAPTED FOR REMOVAL TO CLEAN DEPOSITS WITHIN THE CHAMBER DUE TO FORMATION OF SCALE IN THE USE OF THE HEATER. 